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Tarrant County College-Texas, State University of New York at Albany, University of South Dakota, Fitchburg State College, New Hampshire Technical Institute, Michigan State University, Mitchell College, University of Delaware, these are just a few of the colleges and universities across the United States that support the concept of Future Leaders in Early Care and Education through their Early Childhood Clubs and Organizations!

Future leaders in our field have come from colleges and universities that mentor and guide, push and cajole our students to be the best they can be. Just this past month I was invited to the opening of a new “downtown” child care program in one of the largest cities in Massachusetts. Kristin, a former student, is the new director. Jennifer finished up her degree and found herself in Alaska in the AmeriCorp program helping clean up after the Valdese Oil spill. Tori started her own preschool program in a local community and was noted as “the young business woman of the year” in that community . . . all of these young women were officers in the early childhood club.

In many states students who consider becoming certified to teach young children are required to not only complete the rigors of the discipline of Early Childhood Education, but are also required to have a second subject major. During those four years many of them become involved in the early childhood club. They work with young children, create and design group bulletin boards, lesson plans, units and learning centers, utilize the Project Approach in helping young children explore a particular topic in depth. They raise funds, bake cookies and brownies, and wash cars to turn that money back to the community to help lower the cost for child care for a selected family. They earn money to support the campus child care program in preparing for national accreditation. They prepare for their own campus events during the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Week of the Young Child. They purchase new children’s books for programs that have limited budgets and few new books.

Consider connecting to the local college or university EC Club or ask to come and talk about your early care and education program at their meetings! U-Rah!

Contributed by Bill Strader, Co-Coordinator, Student Interest Forum, NAEYC

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